LUSTFUL PARADISE: Shinmai cross DxD

The next morning, while Basara was on his way to school,

"Excuse me! May I ask for your help?"

Stopping at the abrupt call, he turned towards the source of the hurried voice.

What he saw was...

'A nun?'

It was a short blonde-haired girl wearing a conservative attire composed of a long robe that reached the sole of her feet and a white veil covering her hair as well as a cross a pendant.

"How can I help you?"

“I- Ahah. The truth is…I got lost and needed help.”

Basara had to admit that the way she blushed and stammered while describing her circumstances was pretty cute. He felt like he was facing a little mascot of some foreign restaurant in European countries. It slightly reminded him of his days training in the Vatican.

“Hmm…”

He had woken up way earlier than his usual hours and as such still had enough time before he had to resort to rushing to school at full speed.

“Ah! I am sorry if I am a bother! I will try finding my way on my own–Kyah!”

Misunderstanding his silence for refusal, she waved her hand hurriedly and tried to walk away so as to not trouble him further, but all that amounted to was for her to fall headfirst on the ground.

At least she would have if Basara hadn’t moved fast enough to catch her in his arms.

“Are you alright?”

She felt so light and small in his arms. He wondered worriedly if she was eating properly or not.

“Thank you.”

She muttered quietly, her tone like a faint breeze, as he put her back on her feet. Her voice, as small as a mosquito, and her face, as red as a tomato, emphasized her cute nature which slightly attracted Basara's eyes. 

Clearly, she wasn’t used to contact between people of the opposite gender. 

Lifting her baggage that he had also managed to catch before it fell, he introduced himself to her.

“I wasn’t trying to refuse you earlier. I was just thinking if I had enough time. Anyway, my name is Basara Toujou. Happy to be your acquaintance.”

“Toujou?”

The girl showed surprise at his name before she shook her head, 

“I am sorry. My name is Asia. Asia Argento. You can just call me Asia. Happy to meet you, Toujou-san.”

She bowed gracefully while giving an angelic smile, full of untainted purity.

Looking at her once again, Asia could only be described as an ethereal beauty.

Long flowing golden hair, beautiful green eyes, and the robes of a devoted nun that gave her a holy aura akin to a Saintess.

If it wasn’t because he could feel that she was definitely human, Basara would have wondered if she was an angel who lost their way and descended to earth.

He had seen his fair share of angels and she fitted the pictures to a T. 

‘She really looks like Dulio.’

Thinking about the exorcist with his heart in his hand, Basara felt a bout of sadness encroach his soul.

“Toujou-san, are you alright?”

‘Did I let my feelings show on my face?’

This was highly surprising. He rarely showed his true emotion when facing strangers. Perhaps it was because she seemed so pure that he had let down his guard subconsciously and almost instinctively.

“Do not worry. I was just lost in some wandering thoughts. Well then, shall we go? I can accompany you a bit. By the way, you can just call me Basara. I'd prefer that.”

“Thank you! Basara-san!”

———

[Abandoned Church]

"Fuck! Why can't we find that bastard?"

Kicking one of the chairs in the abandoned church, Raynare screamed in frustration.

It had been a few days since they came to Kuoh town, but even after searching every single day for the holder of the sacred gear, they still couldn't find them. Hell, they couldn't even find a faint trace of their presence which was simply absurd.

"Calm down. You know destroying the room won't change anything. Before that, are you sure about your plan with the girl?"

Dohnaseek, a middle-aged man wearing a gray trench coat and a hat, asked her worriedly.

His question immediately calmed down her anger and replaced it with glee.

"Hahaha. I couldn't be more sure. Rather than a uselessly weak human-like that girl, Twilight Healing would be more powerful in my hand."

Raynare couldn't wait. Soon she would be able to greatly help her beloved Azazel-sama.

"I still don't understand how it's possible. I mean, aren't sacred gears supposed to be only usable by humans or hybrids? How could it work with an angel?"

This time it was Mittelt who asked. 

"How could I know? The sacred gear system has been going bonkers for some time now. I mean, isn't it exactly why we can get such a good ex-holy maiden?"

Raynare wasn't a sacred gear geek like Azazel and as such lacked the fundamental knowledge. Even so, all she needed to know was that the ritual worked.

It was like how a human would use a microwave or a phone. 

They didn't need to know how it worked or why it worked. All that mattered was that they could heat their food or call their friends.

"Now that I think about it. Where is that crazy exorcist?"

Earlier this morning, an exorcist had come to their doorstep. It seemed that he had been sent by Kokabiel, one of the cadres of the fallen angels faction. As such, even though they hated him, they still had to deal with him.

"He is on the prowl. Something about punishing filthy humans who dare make contracts with devils."

Raynare frowned at the answer. "What a crazy hypocrite."

Then she stopped caring immediately after. All she could think of was finally obtaining that sacred gear.

If she could find the main target at the same time, it would be even better.

'I wonder where we could find that Target.'

———

While holding her luggage, Asia and Basara were walking in a small park full of flowers having small talk between them.

“So, are you traveling?”

“Oh, no. I was appointed to this town’s church.”

“Ah. So you are indeed a Sister.”

“Heh?” Asia showed a surprised expression, “Was it that obvious?”

‘Seriously?’

Basara's good natured smile twitched at her answer but he could see that the girl was really innocent and so all he could do was show a bitter smile instead. 

“Indeed it was. Then again you could have just been an extremely religious woman.”

Asia let out a small laugh as she blushed lightly, “I’m so glad I met such a nice person like you. It must have been divine guidance.”

‘Divine guidance, huh?’

Basara simply chuckled. Though he had been an exorcist in training. He wasn’t really a believer of God. 

Hard to be one when your mother is the enemy of God. 

Even so, he never belittled the belief of others and in fact heavily admired those people with such a deep faith.

The two of them continued to discuss lightly and reached a crossroad with the light still red.

Suddenly, “Be careful!”